The Empress and the Queen
by Noe Izumi
Summary: The Doctor and Rose land in the middle of the XIX c. Vienna and end up meeting the Emperor and his beloved wife, Sissi. Something really weird is happening in Palace... Will they be able to guess what it is... without putting in danger their lives?
1. Chapter 1

(1)

A slight breeze, just a whisper, shook the tall and yellow grass which seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Under the bright sunlight, a strange blue box suddenly began to take shape, like a mirage first, as a solid thing later; it passed a few seconds until the TARDIS hum stopped and the ship stood like that, pretending as usual to be just a simple old and blue English police box.

The wooden door creaked and a young man with tousled brown hair leaned out, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and expectation. Opening widely the door, he came out with his hands in his pockets and stepped forward, squinting in the sun. Over a striped brown suit, he was wearing a long trench coat that he probably would take off soon, taking into account the weather.

"Doctor?"

A blond-haired young girl left the TARDIS, closing the door behind her. As if he had foreseen the weather, she was wearing a jacket tied around the waist, wearing a plain shirt-sleeved bluish top and a pair of dark-blue jeans with a lot of pockets.

The Doctor was already looking around carefully, making one of his usual analyses of situation in time and place, when Rose Tyler began to try finding out for herself where had they landed. They were in a wide, open ground, flanked by lush trees which didn't let them see what lay beyond. The tall and yellow grass crunched under their feet when they walked.

"Where are we?" asked Rose finally.

The doctor took a couple of steps, slowly, gracefully, without removing his hands of his pockets.

"I have no idea", he stated with a big grin.

Rose chuckled in disbelief, collecting her hair in a ponytail.  
"You and your random landings ... One of these days we're going to land in the middle of a barbarian invasion, or som'thing…"

The Doctor simply shrugged.

"No big deal, I've done that a couple of times ... let's see! ..." he sniffed the air and looked around "Yes ... I'd say this is Austria ... Ja, Österreich ... Nineteen century…? ... Although I'm not very sure of the year, so it may be simply Austria, or the Austro-Hungarian empire ...

Rose closed her eyes and breathed deeply, stretching his arms.  
"And I'd say, it's noon ..." she said, imitating his tone of Dr. smartass "I've missed the sun ... the solar system one, I mean"she added, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

The Doctor looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes slightly when sunlight penetrated on them. He smiled in satisfaction, feeling the heat in his face and his smile broadened up to be that of a naughty child.

"Let's have a look: the most exciting thing about unplanned destinations" he said cheerfully, turning his head toward his companion.

And so they did, but the searing heat made Rose feel that the minutes elapsed, possibly no more than fifteen or twenty, seem hours. Even the Doctor had taken off his raincoat, but his energy still seemed inexhaustible. She stopped and gasped, her hands on her hips.

"We are back in the same place" she said with deadpan-voice.

"That's not true..."

She pointed with her head towards the space behind him in response; there it was the TARDIS, just as they had left her.. The Doctor just stared at his ship and blinked several times, slowly, open-mouthed.

"Blimey… You're right"

Rose sighed and sat on the grass.

"Exploring in this heat is killing me ..."she said. Then she leaned back until she was lying on the grass, right where the TARDIS was projecting a little shadow, stretching his arms above her head; she chuckled with satisfaction.

"Good idea, nothing will happen because we rest for a while and enjoy the warm light of your star" the Doctor said.

He spread his coat on the grass and fell over it with an exaggerated sigh. Rose laughed and their eyes met, just a few centimeters from each other.

"Hello!" he said with a smile.

She smiled back.

"This reminds me of our first trip, "he said, amused ... Well, our first trip with this body. Remember?"

Rose stood up with a snort.

"Yes, but this grass is not as soft as it looks and it doesn't smells like apple ..." she mumbled, trying to remove some sticky blades from her hair.

The Doctor sit down and took from her hair one little blade. He put on his rimmed spectacles and stared at the blade with great interest, while Rose was trying to get rid of another one, the same color as his hair.

"A-ha! A nettle… Urtica Dioica ... harmless, except for the hives" he snorted "What a pain in the neck they are ..." he threw it down and looked around "Nettles ... the Sun's height and his powerful shining ... Summer! Little by little we are about to know when we are, huh?" he said with a wide, careless smile.

"Yes... that's something ... Although taking into account this heat, it was something I had already deduced" she said, a little annoyed, removing the last nettle of her hair. "Now we only need to know where we are. But I prefer to take a break first, or I'll die of sunstroke… "

The Doctor laid back on his raincoat, his hands behind his head, making room for Rose so that she wouldn't end with her hair full with nettles. He closed her eyes against the bright sunlight, letting the sweet warm to stroke his freckled face. He noticed some movement at his side and he saw that Rose was mumbling something while she removed another nettle from her ponytail.

"They're a pain, aren't they? Lean on me if you want"

Rose seemed to hesitate a moment and then she smiled, shyly; she didn't know if her cheeks were turning slightly red due to the sun or to his sudden offering.

"Really, I don't care, come on" he said blithely, closing his eyes again.

After a while, he noticed that Rose leaned her head on his shoulder with a slight sigh, and she stayed there. He opened one eye to look at her, amused; pretty soon he perceived the sweet, fruity smell of her hair.

Then, Rose chuckled.

"What happens?"

"It's nothing ... I've just remembered that Mickey used to let me use him as a pillow when we watched telly on the sofa"

The Doctor frowned slightly, looking straight to her for a moment.

"Oh… really? So, who is more comfortable?" he asked with a funny voice.

Rose seemed to hesitate a moment and then she sat up to look at him with a mischievous face, pretending she was analyzing him.

"Well ... You're not very soft, you're too skinny ..." she said, mockingly.

"I'm not skinny!" he exclaimed, looking hurt "I'm just… too tall".

"Shut up, you lanky bloke..."

The girl laughed and put her head over his chest, in a more natural, spontaneous way this time. Suddenly, as she had just realized something, she carried a hand to the other side of his chest, leaving it there firmly; she grinned.

"I can hear them..."

The Doctor opened an eye to look at her. Rose could listen his left heart beating, feeling under her hand how the right one immediately followed. The Doctor smiled, amused at her companion's sudden interest. She closed her eyes to concentrate more in the sound, without wiping the smile off her face.

She tried to follow their rhythm with her fingers, one each hand, but she screwed it up and desisted, giggling.

"I've never been able to do it either, and I know them since veeeeery long ago!" he said, moving his fingers with a funny, confused expression in his face. She laughed again.

The Doctor grinned; he loved to hear her laughing, and all of a sudden a great affection for her came over him, like a tickling. Still smiling, he breathed in slowly, filling his lungs with the pure air of summer, and closed his eyes. He realized that Rose had made herself comfortable and she breathed deeply too. The blazing sunshine had already invaded their pleasing TARDIS-shadow, but no one of them seemed to care.

"This is so relaxing ..." she muttered.

He smiled, with a sudden shining in his eyes. The pressure of the head and the girl's hand on his chest was something nice and warm. As if he didn't realize what he was doing, his fingers tangled in a strand of her hair, and the affection he felt for her when he had heared her laughter seemed to multiply by one thousand. He found himself wondering how he sometimes envied that fact about human beings (the simplicity of things, the slight details that could make a person happy) when his mind, often frenetic, started to dive into a great, silent calmness. When he breathed in deeply again, he perceived the sweet scent of her hair. It smelled so good…

Rose also was starting to doze off; the sound of the hearts was almost hypnotic, and the smell of the grass and the warm caress of the sun on her face did not help at all to keep her awake. At that moment in the world there were only the two of them. They two, and the fragrant smell of the sun-warmed grass ... The soporific heat ... The rhythmic beating of the hearts ... first one, two times ... then another, other two ... And then a third ...

A third?

Surprised, she opened his eyes and sat up, trying to find the source of that third knocking.

Pretty soon she recognized the sound: horses' hooves. Someone was approaching.

"Doctor...?"

"I know ..."

They got up slowly, their eyes fixed on the horsemen who were coming towards them. Without looking away from their sudden guests, the Doctor grabbed his coat from the floor and put her lips near Rose's ear to whisper her something.

"I know when we are: we're about ten years after the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sometime in the fifties or sixties ... And in the private gardens of the Emperor Francis Joseph"


	2. Chapter 2

A group of men dressed in hunting clothes and armed with shotguns were pointing at them. Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand unconsciously; she felt that he slightly clenched her hand, as if to reassure her. She felt safe.

"Stop!" it was one of the riders, a tall man with a big mustache which fell on both sides of his face, like a walrus'. He had a strong German accent; the TARDIS instantly translated languages, but had never managed to do much with the accents.

"These are the private gardens of the Emperor. Who are you and how did you enter in here? I demand you to identify yourselves"

The Doctor cleared his throat and began to approach to them, stretching a hand in greeting, Rose didn't move from his back.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose. We're here due to an unfortunate accident, you see, we'd just made a long journey, so we decided to rest ..."

He was approaching nearer as he talked, until the men pointed their weapons at him.

"But it's not our intention to spoil your exciting and cruel _sport_, so- if we have your permission, we leave now. Bye!"

Another man, his face cleanly shaved and a severe but intelligent-looking, spurred his horse and advanced towards them before they could leave.

"One moment, just one moment ...! Wait there, _doctor_ ... Would you explain what kind of _doctor_ you are… and why is this young lady dressed in a so… peculiar manner?

"Oh no, not again…" Rose whispered to herself with shame, burying his face into the shoulder of the Doctor.

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"No, I can't explain it" he merely said. "As for me ... I'm ... Dr. John Smith, "he added, taking the Psychic Paper and showing it to the riders for a slight moment.

"John Smith? So are you English?" the rider asked, getting off the horse.

"As English as tea with herring for breakfast" he grinned.

Another rider, a golden-haired young man, spoke timidly.

"He must be here for... you know, the girls, Mr. Stonenberg "he said. "Before he went to Berlin, the Dr. Hesse said he would send a colleague, an English doctor who lives in Bavaria"

"Eeeexactly, that's me, "said the Doctor, his eyes sparkling with excitement when to his head it came the idea that something interesting was happening there ... and that he would witness it.

"Then you should join us, Doctor Smith, "said a voice from behind the men, slow and proud.

One of the riders, who all time had remained in the background, moved his horse towards them. The Doctor recognized the Emperor Francis Joseph, who dismounted his horse and headed towards him. His men did not remove his eyes from him as he approached the Doctor, who made a slight bow in greeting, but said nothing.

"I will honor any man who can help us to solve a strange mystery that is taking place in the palace, Dr. Smith" he said solemnly. "I want nothing to disturb the tranquility of my subjects and my wife, the Empress Elizabeth."

"Sissi… The Empress Sissi!" Rose said to herself, fascinated, although maybe too loud, because the Emperor's men dedicated her a stern look.

"Show more respect for the Empress, child" said Stonenberg, looking her up and down with disapproval.

"I'm sorry, sir" Rose murmured, wishing she had not opened his mouth.

The Emperor, to everyone's surprise, seemed amused.

"Yes ... That's how she likes to be called by his beloved people, young lady", he said "What is your name?"

Rose bowed respectfully.

"Rose T ... " she paused for a moment, thoughtfully, then she looked up, her eyes shining "Dame Rose, of the Powell State".

The Doctor glanced at her, his eyebrows raised; she winked a conspiratorially eye at him and he turned away, pressing his lips to suppress a smile.

"A lady? A very curious way of dressing for a lady ... yes, I think you are very special in England" the emperor said, laughing.

"Does she have to come too? She cannot show up in court with that looking" Brower said sternly, his mustache quivered with every word.

Rose, half hidden behind the Doctor again, rolled her eyes in an expression of disgust.

"Just… ignore her, the lady thought it would be much fun to wear trousers and show her arms… they are a bit special, in London" said the Doctor"If you could excuse us a moment ... "he grabbed Rose's arm gently and approached the TARDIS, opening the door and putting her inside, Rose just looked at him raising an eyebrow, an expression of humiliation etched on her face. " The cabinet at the bottom, look for jackets with epaulettes" he whispered her, so no one could hear him.;"that's the one for nineteenth century, the fifties, you know how they dressed, I'm sure you've studied that in History class. I'll wait here. Oh, by the way, the Dame Rose part has been _brilliant._"

He closed the door. The men stared in disbelief; the Doctor just smiled openly.

"What is that, Doctor, a portable dressing-room?" Brawer asked.

"Yes, in England we like to dress for every occasion, you never know what clothes will you need ... And tell me, Emperor ... "he began, moving towards him, always guarded by his men," What is exactly happening with those ... girls?

Suddenly, a young man dressed as a butler came running towards them.

" My Lord ...! " he paused or a moment to catch his breath "My Lord, they have found another one ...

A gesture mixing worry and satisfaction appeared on the Emperor's face.

"You'll be able to see it for yourself, Dr. Smith ..."

At that very moment, the door of the TARDIS was opened. Rose had some difficulty trying to go out, her dress was huge and so wide that she had to (cogerlo) it in order to fit through the hole left by the door (she could not afford to open it widely so the Emperor and his men could see that it was not exactly a portable dresser). The Doctor helped her to come out of the ship and then he closed the door. He looked at her, smiling sweetly; no doubt had she made the right choice. The dress was pale pink, simple, with half sleeves up the arm; she also was wearing matching short gloves. A wide broad-brimmed hat tied in a bow under the chin crowned an improvised hairstyle, and in her hand she had got an umbrella. She stood beside the Doctor.

"Did you bring the clowns?" she whispered in her ear, in some way a little annoyed "I already have the circus…"

She rocked back and forth for a moment, the Doctor suppressed a chuckle.

"You look beatiful, Lady Rose "said the Emperor, she flashed a shy smile and let him kiss the back of her hand ...

"Well!..." interrupted the Doctor abruptly; he gave them a wide smile "Shall we go, gentlemen?"


	3. Chapter 3

**-3-**

The Doctor and Rose followed the riders to the palace. Fortunately, it was not too far; for Rose, to be wearing those clothes in that heat was simply unbearable. No doubt, her fellow women from one hundred and fifty years ago had to be made of a different stuff.

As they were walking, the Emperor himself explained them what was happening. Apparently, during several weeks, the service maids would suddenly disappear and reappear a few hours later, near the edge of the palace surroundings, out of the woods. None of the girls showed any sign of violence or injury, nor trauma of any kind, and they didn't remember anything unusual. Simply, their energy seemed to have been drained.

"Very odd ..." the Doctor simply said.

Finally, after a walk that seemed not to ever end, they reached their destination. Rose couldn't avoid a gasp of admiration as she was in front of the palace, the palace of Empress Sissi no less, almost a myth in modern history. Men and women in elegant suits and glitzy dresses came and went through the garden, strolling calmly.

"This way, Dr. Smith ... Dame Rose ..."

Stonenberg, which proved to be the head of the Emperor's personal guard, led them to a back entrance, while the Emperor and the other guards went to the front door. Although respectable in some way, Rose didn't find that place as elegant as the main entrance and she assumed they were the chambers for the domestic staff.

They finally reached a room in where a young maid was lying in one of the beds, as if asleep; she looked tiny and almost lost in the sheets and blankets under the curtains of the canopy. Another maid was sitting besides her, cooling her forehead with wet clothes; she stood up respectfully when she saw them coming.

"Our physician doesn't know what's happening" Stonenberg began to explain to the Doctor while they approached the bed." It doesn't seem to be an epidemic, because it's not affecting many people at a time. It's ... It's like they're always exhausted. Some of them seem to recover, but their health is severely deteriorated for a long time. Others simply sleep... and some never wake up."

The doctor leaned over the bed. Rose watched him from behind as he pulled out of his pocket a stethoscope and used it to listen to the girl, before the astonished eyes of Stonenberg, to whom that object probably had a too-advanced design for the time they were in.

"He just invented it, " Rose whispered to play it down.

A worried look crossed the Doctor's face for a moment. Putting back the stethoscope in his pocket, he stood before the girl so he could hold her head with both hands, by the temples. He closed his eyes and concentrated; her eyelids quivered for a moment, his breath became deeper and slower, until it seemed to stop ... And then he opened his eyes suddenly, with a shudder, letting out the air he'd been holding with a gasp. The young woman opened her eyes, glazed and sunken, but she seemed to look through him, as if he didn't exist. Then she moved her parched lips as if to speak, but any word came out of them.

Certainly, that was very strange. It was as if someone had sucked her whole life energy.

"I'm sorry…" the Doctor whispered, stroking her pale face.

She closed her eyes and stood motionless, plunged into a deep sleep again.

"Did you say you've had more girls like this?" the Doctor asked to Stonenberg, without taking his eyes off the sick girl.

"Well ... most of them have already recovered, " the man said, confused by what he had just witnessed "Others died as they were sleeping".

"How many exactly?"

"Four or five in the last month."

The Doctor stood up with a sigh and started walking around the room, thoughtfully.

"What do you think about all this, Dr. Smith?" Stonenberg asked impatiently.

"Not sure yet ... " he said, confused, running a hand through his hair, then he looked up at him," I would like to speak to the court physician, who has seen the other girls"

"Of course. We'll arrange a meeting immediately."

Once the Doctor was left alone with the ill maid and with Rose, her young companion touched his hand warmly.

"Doctor? What's happening to her?" she asked him in a whisper.

The Doctor looked at her with a frown on his face. Rose knew very well what that expression meant.

" It's ... It's like she were ... " he snorted "It's like she were fading. I could barely felt her pulse. She even doesn't have the energy to keep running her own body, she's ... lethargic".

"You mean ... like a coma?" She asked, confused.

"Something like that."

Rose looked at the girl sadly.

" D' you think she' ll be okay?

The doctor shook his head, slowly.

"I don' t know."

But his eyes said other thing, and Rose thought she knew what.  
That maybe the young girl will never wake up.

A few minutes later, the Doctor was meeting with the court physician, Dr. Wiedeman, and with the Emperor (who was never left by his men of trust) in the private chambers of the latter. Rose was still with the sick girl, as the Doctor had asked her to be aware of any change and whatever she would say, although if she could hardly breathe, speaking was not likely to happen.

The Doctor walked from side to side, slowly, hands in his pockets, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Well, doctor" he said to the court physician. "Heh, it seems that I talk with myself..." he smiled for a moment and then continued with the main conversation, seriously "Tell me everything you know.

Doctor Wiedelman did, but it was nothing that Stonenberg hadn't said yet. The Doctor frowned even more.

"Those girls that have reappeared and woke up; haven't they said anything?" he asked.

"They don't remember anything, "said Dr. Wiedeman. "They behave as if nothing had happened to them… taking into account if something actually happened ... Some say they were just taking a walk, and suddenly they appeared near the palace, scarcely able to move".

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"That's odd ... Haven't notified the local authorities?"

The Emperor then intervened.

"We do not know the exact nature of what is happening, Dr. Smith. We don't want to prompt a scandal. Besides, there is my wife ... She's quite affected by this whole affair. I cannot let her worry too much"

The Doctor nodded, raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. After obtaining permission, Rose entered the room, staring the Doctor. Her eyes were filled with tears and she took a few seconds to speak. The doctor went towards her, alarmed.

"She's dead " she said.

The Doctor knew exactly who she meant. The maid. Rose fixed his tearful eyes into his.

"She simply ... faded "

The Doctor pulled her and hugged her, stroking her hair tenderly. He looked towards the emperor, who sighed wearily.

"We need your help, Doctor Smith. The situation is getting out of hand"

The Doctor did not reply but his eyes seemed to glisten. Rose smiled sadly.

"Laura, the maid who was with us in the room, said that Emily had always had a very strong health... She was having high hopes for her recovery ..."

The Doctor smiled, touched, looking into her eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll find out what's happening" he said to her, softly.

Rose was quickly seized by that familiar feeling, very common when she got lost in his eyes: the feeling that everything would be fine.

"Will you bring us help, Dr. Smith?" Stonenberg asked, raising his head solemnly.

The Doctor looked up at the Emperor and his men, and simply nodded in assent. Then he grinned.

"Of course. I love mysteries."

The Emperor looked satisfied.

"Thank you, Dr. Smith. My men will help you in everything you need. I'll personally send the domestic staff to prepare a room for you and your wife"

The Doctor and Rose moved away and blew a nervous giggle.

"Oh, no, no, no ... " he began "We're just ..."

He couldn't continue.

"We are fellow travelers ... I'm some kind of apprentice, "said Rose, managing to conceal much better than him, but the rouge on her cheeks suddenly seemed more intense.

"Exactly, she ... she's my assistant" said the Doctor. He cleared his throat and stepped back, embarrassed, waiting for his hearts to stop beating like mad. What the hell was happening to him that time? It was by no means the first time that people pretended them to be a married couple, simply a couple or even other things not so dignified ...

The Emperor nodded, slightly confused.

"In that case I think it's better we have two rooms"

"With your permission, your Excellency, I better go to see the deceased girl" said doctor Wiedeman.

"Yes... We're going too"

After some polite goodbyes they left the room, leaving the Doctor and Rose alone with some of the guards. It was she who broke the silence.

"What did you feel, Doctor? When you examined her. You looked into her, didn't you?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, his eyes absent.

"Nothing ... I felt nothing" he sighed finally. Only that she was dying".

Some minutes later, a service member came to show them their rooms. The Doctor hid his careless with courtesy when he was left in his room, discreet, yet elegant, with purple curtains, a large Persian carpet on the floor and a canopy bed; very likely he won't use it, he had more interesting things to do than sleeping. Rose, on the other hand, loved her room: if a simple room for guests was like that, she couldn't imagine how would the Emperors ' look like. Huge windows covered almost the entire wall, partially obscured by thick curtains. She didn't need to open the cupboard to know it was full of beautiful but bulky dresses. The bed was huge; maybe the Doctor did not give the same importance as her to sleeping, but she was dying to try it. She sat down first, and then she dropped herself onto the soft mattress, with a giggle.

Then there was a knock at the door and the Doctor entered. Jokingly, he feigned an exaggerated disgust when he saw her.

"Blimey! Having a siesta so soon?!"

Rose laughed and sat up.

" I hope no one's seen you ... Knocking on the door of a lady's... What a scandal..." she joked.

The Doctor frowned.

"Sure ... Now I understand why the maiden put that face when I asked her for your room... Don't worry; nothing will spoil even more your reputation, savage-British-girl-in-jeans…"

They both laughed. Rose began to mend her hat, which got ruined when she plopped onto the bed. The Doctor just looked at her, his eyes bright, one of the corners of his mouth twisted in a sweet, slight smile.

She looked at him and giggled.

"What?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and looked away, turning serious again.

"I came to tell you that we are guests at a palace banquet, tonight"

"What an honor! Isn't that exciting?"

The Doctor made a gesture that denoted boredom.

"Naaaah ... I'm too used to things like this ... The last time, not so long ago, with Queen Victoria. You owe her your name, remember? We had a very interesting conversation, indeed ..."

Rose opened her mouth feigning annoyance.

"I remind you that while you were drinking wine with her Majesty and talked about interesting things, I was locked up with the lady of the house, her servants and a werewolf from another planet"

"Oh dear, that's true ... I always forget that"

She threw a cushion at him.

"You've missed the shot!" then he returned to the main subject of conversation

"Well, if we're going to be detectives, we better start as soon as possible, and I'm sure we'll find out something interesting during the banquet. But first, I would take a look around " he stood before her and offered his arm "Would you please, Dame Rose, to accompany me in a walk through the gardens?"

She laughed, amused.

"Certainly, Sir Doctor, it will be a pleasure, " she said in a solemn voice, clutching his arm.

He grinned and they left the room together, heading for the exit.

"Why there's just always happening something strange in the places we came by chance?" the girl asked as they descended the stairs.

"Oh! That's the TARDIS herself, "he explained. "Her priority is going to places where it may be needed my help. You know, Time Lord stuff."

"Ah, yes ... That could explain why we are always puttin' ourselves in danger..."

"And isn't that great?" he said, dedicating to her one of his huge smiles.

Rose answered him with a laugh and grabbed his arm as they walked out the door, into the warm sunlight.


	4. Chapter 4

**-4-**

The gardens were really beautiful. Rose became aware of that now that she could contemplate them more calmly, without being surrounded by the men who escorted the Emperor's to palace. There was a beautiful fountain, sculptures made with hedges taller than she was, and flowers of all sizes and colors. They had time to take a good walk on that the feast was prepared, and if meanwhile they could find out something about the mystery of the missing young women, the day would be complete.

The two walked slowly, clutching each one the arm of the other. Rose looked up at his companion, frowning amusedly.

"It's not fair".

"What thing?"

"You never follow the fashion of the century we go to."

"What do you mean!? When we went to 1953 I combed my hair back ..."

"Oh yeah, what a change ... "she said ironically.

"Hey! It's not my fault that for centuries humanity have wanted you women dressed as if you weren't allowed to show your skin ..."

She laughed.

"At least, I won't deny it's nice ..." the Doctor muttered, looking away.

"What thing?"

"I mean ..." he croaked, staring with a mixture of solemnity and some trouble "You look beautiful… to be human, of course"

Rose hit a gentle slap on his arm.

"What a fool you are ..."

He smiled and she hung on his arm affectionately. They walked in silence for a while, hold like that.

"D'you think we'll see her in the feast?" Rose asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"The Empress, of course, "the girl giggled excitedly. "Mom's not going to believe it ... Sissi herself... It's one of his favorite films. She always said that she was probably the most sophisticated person who ever walked the Earth…"

The Doctor snorted.

"Well ... you cannot always trust what they say in films ... Except the alien ones, of course, these are often based on true events ... The thing is, the Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, now the Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, has always been a very peculiar and complicated person"

"You mean she'll throw us something directly to our heads when she see us?"

"I don't think so, that would be more typical of George IV ... "

Rose laughed. The Doctor continued after a pause.

"She never had an easy life. Just months ago she lost her first child, she was just a baby. She never is with her second daughter, because is her mother-in-law who's raising her. Within 32 years, his only son will appear dead along with his lover.

"Wow, I think I don't fancy that banquet anymore ... " Rose said in a weak voice, concluding with a giggle that made clear her discomfort.

"Sorry ..." the Doctor said, with a gesture denoting that he had spoken too much. He cleared his throat "At least on horseback riding she was pretty good. I can't think on a best amazon throughout the empire ... Anyway, you already knew all that from the films your mother has seen, didn't you?

"Yes, but films are one thing, and another very different is to see it in real life ..."

"_Touché_"

"This shows that to have an empire and great power doesn't mean you're going to be happy ", Rose said, sadly.

The Doctor nodded.

"The Emperor ... he looks very young" she continued after a pause.

"We're in 1857, so he's only twenty seven. This Empire has just born. Even a few years remaining to be that cheesy-mustache man you remember from the paintings  
... By the way, the Empress is the same age you're now.

"Really?"

The Doctor nodded vigorously, looking amused.

Their animated conversation was suddenly interrupted when some of the Emperor's men came in their wake, this time by foot. Stonenberg headed the procession, followed by the shy young man with straight, red hair and two men more who they didn't know.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Smith. Dame Rose ... I hope everything is to your taste"  
The two nodded with a smile.

"Enjoying a pleasant walk through the gardens of his Excellency?"

"Only partly" the Doctor said, pretending to look interesting." Remember we have an ongoing investigation ... Has the guard seen anything strange?"

"Nothing, Dr. Smith. Everything continues as usual. I certainly hope you continue here tomorrow night. Their Excellencies will organize a dance. It will be a pleasure to have you there".

"If I have your permission, Mr Stonenberg, I wish we won't be able to attend" said Rose.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, if we aren't here tomorrow night, it means that Dr. Smith has solved the mystery of the young maidens" she explained, looking at the Doctor with mischievous eyes.

The Doctor refrained from outlining one of his huge smiles, admired for her occurrence. Stonenberg, confused and dazzled at once, smiled.

"You are a very special girl, Dame Rose" he bowed slightly; she gave her hand to be kissed, just pretending to be polite "It'll be my pleasure to share a little dance at the Ball... if you are still here by then, of course ..."

The guard kissed her hand, looking into her eyes. Rose felt exposed, almost as if his eyes were analyzing her, looking through her. She shuddered. She looked away, uncomfortable, and the unpleasant tingling he felt in his hand did not disappear until a good while after he released her. That's all she needed: the pompous-ass Head Guard of the Emperor, infatuated with her.

"I hope you'll assist the banquet that your Excellences will organize in a couple of hours" he said, looking at them with a big smile.

"We will be there" the Doctor said, without taking his eyes off him.

Stonenberg nodded, satisfied.

"Enjoy your walk" he said them goodbye with a heartfelt greeting.  
Once they were gone and far enough from them, Rose came closer to the Doctor to talk in a nervous whisper.

"Wow ... did you see how Stonenberg was lookin'at me?"

"Yes, I've seen that ... I think he likes you, "replied the Doctor; first he laughed mockingly, but then a strange sense of hostility tickled him in the stomach. When he identified it as jealousy, he twisted his mouth in a gesture of irritation and disbelief.

"Woah, then I'd better keep my eyes open, he just needed to dribble over my hand, glove included..." concluded the girl, now half-jokingly. Luckily for the Doctor, or perhaps unfortunately, Rose did not understand his distaste-face.

"Hey!" she hit him in an arm with her fist "It's so hard to believe it? After all, you told me I was beautiful in this dress".

"Yeah, but's not that what I ... anyway, doesn't matter".

She laughed; he was adorable when he was left not knowing what to say.

"Let's go to the edge of the forest, where all the girls have appeared " the Doctor suggested.

After having realized where they were, they turned away slightly, towards the entrance to the forest.

"Do you think it could be vampires?" Rose asked half-jokingly.

"In this area? No way".

Rose was shocked; she wasn't expecting that answer, as if it were true that vampires existed.

Suddenly, the sharp eyes of Doctor saw anything suspicious near the fountain. He got rid of Rose and ran towards there, immediately followed by his astonished partner.

Sitting by the fountain was a young woman, one of the maids. Her face was beaded with sweat and she looked dazed.

"You okay?" Rose asked, sitting beside her.

"Yes, ma'am, don't worry ... I'm just very tired. Must be that heat" she answered with a sheepish grin.

The Doctor looked at her attentively, standing in front of the two, with his hands in the pockets of his suit.

"You must be one of the girls who have appeared on the edge of the forest. Disoriented, exhausted for no reason, and with no memories at all"

She looked at him, confused.

"I hope you don't mind me asking you some questions" he said; Rose realized that he was putting his best "you-can-trust-me" face.

"With your permission, sir ... "said the maiden, flustered. "Dr. Wiedeman and Mr. Stonenberg from the Guard have already spoken to me, and to some of my mates. I've already told them what was happening"

The Doctor smiled, not without some pride; he winked to her.

"Yeah, but they're not me"

The leaves crunched under his boots as he walked.

He went deep into the woods, ready, as if he knew the way instinctively. He never hesitated as he passed through the undergrowth. His straight hair moved over his eyes with every step he took, but it didn't seem to bother him. Just behind him, there were three maids and a butler, the girls were picking their skirts as they walked, following him, walking quickly. The strange group finally reached a cave, half hidden behind a dense grove. When they walked into it, their faces were illuminated by a purple, strange, evil glow. The young man knelt humbly. His eyes went up to something he had before him.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to bother you. I think we've finally found a suitable candidate to your needs. She is young and strong, and her whole body exudes a great energy, something we had never seen before. She is what we need"

The thing he was addressing to replied, her words were impossible to decipher by any human being. The man closed his eyes to listen. No echo bounced off the walls of the cave, no sound mingled with the faint whisper of the leaves in the wind, because the voice could only be heard inside his head, and in the heads of the maids and the butler who were present.

Everyone stood motionless, listening, breathing fast and superficially. His eyes seemed empty, lost in no where. The young man spoke again when the voice in his head ceased.

"No, Your Majesty, apparently she is not suffering from any disease. We made a thorough analysis. The blood is pure. Her heart is strong; there is nothing abnormal about the rhythm and steadiness of the beats. Her mind, perhaps ... It didn't seem too be very receptive, but that's nothing you cannot resolve, Your Highness. Her body will resist it, no doubt. It won't happen as with the last one, I assure you."

The thing spoke again. He nodded. His blue eyes twinkled as he smiled for a moment; it was a supernatural glow, from another world.

"Yes, your Majesty. We'll be careful. He will take care of everything. Soon you will have her, I promise"


	5. Chapter 5

**-5 ****–**

The Doctor and Rose accompanied the maid to the service headquarters. On the way there, she stumbled several times and they had to catch her. One of those times Rose touched her hand, alarmed by the coldness of her skin, despite the tremendous hot day.

"I really don't know what's happening to me, sir ..." she said, sitting on a threadbare couch, while Rose gave her a comforting cup of steaming tea "I'm usually very strong. I've never even caught a cold in my life"

The Doctor sat beside her in a small velvet stool.

"Tell us everything you remember" he urged.

The maid hesitated.

"With your permission, sir ... who are you? "

"We're friends of the Emperor" he said, with an enigmatic smile.

The frightened girl did not seem to be willing to tell anything, but Rose looked sweet enough to convince him. She took her hands and squeezed them.

"We're here to help. Don't be afraid"

The maiden's name was Nicole, and she had been in the palace since barely a year ago, quite recently, she said, when compared with her mates.

"I was wearing clean towels to the bath of her Excellency when I came across one of my mates" she continued. "It seemed that something strange was happening to her, because she was staggering. I guess it was then ... when I fainted. Next, it was the cold, and ... the feeling of emptiness. I woke up, feeling cold and very weak, on the edge of the forest at night. One guard was with me and he took me back to the palace. Dr. Wiedeman said that I was suffering from a great exhaustion, probably due to fear and anxiety because of the attacks we the maids are experiencing.

The Doctor did not take his eyes off the girl as she spoke. Rose knew that while he was listening his mind was trying to put two and two together, but the expression on his face told her he was not succeeding.

"When I could get out of bed yesterday, and I continued more or less with my normal life, I found out that the girl I met that day was dead… And this morning another one died too..."

"Emily" said Rose, sadly.

Nicole nodded.

" They say it's an epidemic, and I suppose I'm affected too in some way. In that case, I say thanks to the Lord for keeping me alive " she smiled bitterly and sipped the tea, her eyes darkened for a moment, digging into the curls of smoke. "That's all I told them, but ... There's something else. Doctor ... there's something I've not told Stonenberg, nor Dr. Wiedeman ... because I know they'll think I'm crazy ... or I'm lying ... and this is the only job I have. My parents are very poor and they depend on the money I send them every month"

Rose comforted her affectionately, rubbing her arm, while the eyes of the Doctor became more acute and attentive.

"You can trust the Doctor, Nicole. Tell us, what is it?"

"The day I saw my mate in the hallway, I saw a light before I fainted ... a strange purple light that blinded me" her voice became a trembling whisper. "But the strangest thing of this all is that ... I'd swear it came from her"

The Doctor sat strightly on the stool.

"A light?"

She nodded and continued speaking, trying to remain calm.

"And there's something more… I barely can remember a thing, but I… I know I heard voices, voices inside my head. There's a word I remember, some sort of… fixed idea. Just a word."

"What word, Nicole?" the Doctor asked under his voice, expectant.

The maid took a while to answer.

"Queen" she raised her eyes to the Doctor's "I don't know what it means…"

"This is what I call a good mystery" said the Doctor while he arranged his bow tie, looking at himself in the mirror of Rose's bedroom. She had insisted he put on something a little more elegant for lunch, but for the concept of elegance of the Doctor consisted on a twentieth century- tuxedo that he had brought from TARDIS. She had borrowed a dress from one of the ladies in waiting of the Empress; it was sober, but it was enough, and fortunately it fitted her, but she never was going to get used to that damned corset.

"What do you think is happening here?" she asked while touching up her hair, drawing talk about it because most had already gone to the palace dining room. And, neither would anyone who could start for company gossip strange men in her bedroom.

The Doctor snorted, folding his arms.

"No idea. I have no idea yet. I hope we can get something revealed at the banquet"

"To which, by the way, we are arriving late "she said sarcastically, getting up from the dressing table.

"Arriving a little bit later is a sign of good education, my dear Rose" he commented in his best smartass voice.

"Not in my country, I remind you I'm British" she said with a sly smile.

Just in case any girl was eager to start another embarrassing gossip chain, the Doctor decided to go downstairs in the first place, alone. Rose followed him five minutes later. When she reached the dining room, the Emperors had not arrived yet. The huge table was nearly full of guests and it took Rose a bit to find the Doctor, who was seated at the right of the table ... and opposite him, it was Stonenberg. She rolled her eyes; this man really could get her really nervous. A butler intercepted her kindly and sat her right next to the Doctor, fortunately; it probably meant that he had planned it, she guessed, for the way he smiled to her when she sat down. The Emperor's other guard men were also there; next to Stonenberg, Rose recognized the young red-haired boy, who seemed to be deeply immersed in some sort of meditation that kept him lost in though, and the walrus-like mustache man, Brower. The emblems of their costumes sparkled as they moved.

"You are beautiful, Dame Rose "said Stonenberg when she took her seat, without giving her time to say hello back.

She smiled politely, but did not dare to say anything. Surely he would have kissed her hand again if the table wasn't so big that they remained separated by a considerable distance.

"We seem to have arrived just in time" Rose whispered to the Doctor, who seemed very interested in the non-existent content of his wine glass, or maybe in the wine glass itself. "Fortunately for us, because I wouldn't like to give a rude first impression…"

Suddenly, a powerful voice quieted the whispers of the guests.

"Their Excellencies, the Emperors of Austria"

" Just in time, you're right" whispered the Doctor, smiling, leaving the wine glass again on the table.

The butler turned to the guests, and the Emperors came through the door with their hands held high.

Rose's first thought when she saw her was that there was something that was true in the films: her beauty. Empress Sissi's face was impressive, determined, yet feminine and sensitive. She had flowers in her hair, which was stranded in a perfect bun. The brown curls fall down her neck, beautiful and bright brown. She moved towards the table with such elegance that it was almost as if she were floating, as if her feet do not even touched the floor. She was arm in arm to Emperor Francis Joseph, neatly dressed in his full dress gallons. The two of them nodded to the guests, who were laying his eyes on them.

A butler led them right to the center of the table, so lucky that they were going to sit very close to where they were. Rose knew that the Doctor had chosen this place on purpose (or convinced someone to give it). The Doctor nodded to Rose and the two got up. The Emperor Franz Joseph came to them with a smile, yet his wife's hand, to make relevant submissions. Both the Emperor and his wife seemed surprised at the "strange" Doctor outfit, but said nothing.

"My dear, let me introduce you to Dr. Smith, the imminent doctor from England. His companion, Dame Rose. She's his ..." he hesitated a moment "assistant".

The Doctor kissed the Empress's hand, while the Emperor did the same with Rose's. She, meanwhile, made a slight bow to the dazzling Sissi.

"Your Excellency, it is such an honor ... " said she, feeling very awkward and nervous.

The presentations made, they all sat down to wait the food.

Sissi radiated royalty, sophistication and an overwhelming savoir-faire, even if Rose knew from the movies that life in palace was not her favorite. The Doctor would have to ask if that was also a thing of the film ... then shook with emotion to think that I could see for herself if she stayed there long enough. He recalled that the Doctor had told him at that time the Empress was the same age, and Rose felt a flash of admiration and pity at the same time. He could not imagine herself being a wife and right hand of the leader of an entire empire, at an age where it was just beginning to discover the world of adults. The soft voice of the Empress took her from her thoughts.  
"It will be a great honor that you two could come to the great ball we're celebrating in two nights. Can you dance, Dame Rose?"

She smiled hesitantly.

"I think I can try, Her Excellency ... " she lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed and feeling very awkward to have answered that.

Sissi, however, seemed to find her answer quite amusing.

"I guess that's a yes. Some of my maids could help you to improve your steps, if you wish.  
The ladies spent a gentle smile and nodded. Rose smiled sheepishly in response.

Her mother was not going to believe it: she was going to receive dance lessons from the ladies- -in-waiting of the Empress Sissi. Sure, she would ask her to teach her a few steps.

"If you're going to spend some time with us, we must act as good hosts " said the Emperor. Someone should show you our place and facilities. I think you have already seen some of the gardens, but much remains to be seen yet"

Unfortunately for Rose, Stonenberg was the one who spoke.

"Your Excellency, it would be an honor to me to show Dame Rose the palace and its surroundings"

The Doctor, his face resting on one hand in a relaxed attitude and playing with a wine glass, cleared his throat. Stonenberg seemed to take the hint and he looked at them all with a gesture that seemed an attempt of smiling.

"And to Dr. Smith, of course "

Stonenberg directed him a strange look, but the Doctor found it great fun and gave him a sly smile.

The dishes took not too long in coming and everyone enjoyed an excellent lunch. The table, which was not exactly small, was completely filled. Rose thought that her mother's Christmas meals were mere appetizers if they had to be compared. She saw Sissi just took a few bites of spicy meat, but nevertheless she enjoyed the vegetables soup. The dessert consisted of many dishes, from various types of pudding and fruit cakes to fresh fruit or berries and lemon cupcakes. Rose was so nervous and her corset was so tight so that she could hardly eat anything, but the lemon cake with nuts was delicious.

Finished dessert, the Emperors closed the meal, and they all retreated. Rose felt a little embarrassed when the Empress herself came directly to her before leaving the huge dining room.

" Dame Rose, if you have no objection, I will send my girls to your rooms tomorrow after breakfast. I hope that in a couple of hours you can learn some steps that you can delight us with tomorrow night"

" It is an honor, your Excellency" Rose said with a bow and a big smile. The Doctor looked at her amusedly, and the brightness of his eyes did not disappear when the Emperors left the courtroom. He had imagined Rose dancing a waltz with a beautiful dress that could rival those of Sissi, and suddenly he felt naively happy. Rose had to ask what was wrong with him when they left the room, towards the lobby.

" I was thinking ... " of course he was not going to tell her, so he changed the subject "I tried to put things together at lunch, and except for the young guard who seemed to be thinking about shrews, I didn't seen anything unusual. Something tells me that he's new and fails to fit, poor thing. Well, a lo que iba Tomorrow, after our "dancing lessons", we could take advantage of Mr. I-love-drooling-over-hands… I mean ... Stonenberg, acting as our official guide to try to figure things out. Maybe you could ... " he paused for a moment, searching for words, as if he were going to say something he didn't like but he had no other choice but to say it "…leave you two alone for a while".

" You're using me as an incentive, Mr. Poirot? " she seemed offended, but in an almost comical way.

" Well, you have to be smart and take advantage of circumstances" the Doctor said. "We haven't too much time and I think he likes you more than me ..."

Rose laughed.

" By the way, I very much prefer Holmes to Poirot" said the Doctor.

She slapped him, amused.


End file.
